2015 POLARIS SLINGSHOT

Have you heard about the new toy on the market? It is the 2015 Polaris Slingshot! In development for three years, the Slingshot is not Polaris’ Can-Am Spyder. Rather, the 1,666-lb. trike is more akin to the Compagna T-Rex or a three-wheeled car with front wheels situated way out in front of the driver. You don’t straddle the rear-drive Slingshot; you sit way back in it, side by side with your passenger in waterproof bucket seats, and your posteriors are only 11.9 inches off the pavement. With its short windscreen and low-sided open-air cockpit, the Slingshot has the visceral appeal of a sportbike, but it drives more like a lightweight sports car, albeit one with three wheels.

Polaris makes it clear that the Slingshot is a motorcycle, with no airbags. It’s not designed to meet automotive crash standards, and it’s not a step toward producing an automobile, says the company. Polaris also says that state laws apply in the US. In California, for instance, the Slingshot is considered a motorcycle. As such, the rider will need to wear a helmet and have a motorcycle endorsement on his license. In Canada, similarly, the Slingshot is considered a three-wheeled motorcycle.